1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a packet processing apparatus and method and, more particularly, to an L2/L3 packet processing apparatus and method capable of processing packets by interworking with a provider backbone bridges network (PBBN), a provider bridges network (PBN), and an Internet protocol network (IPN).
2. Description of the Related Art
The explosive increase in data traffic in the wake of the popularization of the Internet and the integration of wireline and wireless Internet limit the accommodation of a high quality services such as IP-TV in existing complicated networks, and in network equipment using network processors that handle the processing of every packet, the network processors perform the functions of supporting diverse multimedia services and applications, causing a performance degradation phenomenon. In addition, as users who want to be provided with a premium service having a guaranteed quality of service (QoS) require a high-priced TDM line, carrier Ethernet providers actively move toward providing the premium service to users at a low cost by securing a transport network up to a metro edge and metro core network. However, with various types of networks mixedly coexisting, the providers provide different types of premium services, resulting in an increase in maintenance and repair costs.